Hey Cool Car Fans,

This is one of those extremely cool classic cars that somebody took the time to rebuild and they did it right. I have seen so many classic cars over the years that are junk. People have brought some of these cars to me and asked me to sell them, but I’ve said “No way!” because they couldn’t or wouldn’t invest the money to fix them correctly. Not so with this vehicle!

This beast has almost $50,000 into it and he’s offering it for $29,995, which is a steal of a deal for what this car has to offer.

Unlike other consignments where I take the vehicle and show it to a potential buyer with a test drive at my office that is not going to happen here. I’ve asked the seller to allow me to bring the buyer to his shop and do a private showing because this vehicle has 600hp and two NOS tanks in the trunk.

The last thing I would want is for someone inexperienced to get behind the wheel of this monster and lose control because this car needs someone with experience behind the wheel. It’s a ride that is ready for Bandimere Speedway or to be put into the garage of a private collector who just wants to look at the 1969 Chevy Malibu, which is a super cool ride.

All of the documentation is with this vehicle, including photos of how it was torn down and rebuilt with plenty of photos along the way. You can see the size of the photo album that was put together documenting everything about this vehicle. It’s sweet! I’ll be amazed if it doesn’t sell for the full price and sell rather quickly once word gets out on the market that it’s available.

There are plenty of people out there with some money who would rather invest in a vehicle like this than tinker around in their garage for the next three years trying to build something on their own. In the end their vehicle may not compete with this 69′ Malibu or it may end up costing them more money anyway. This vehicle is amazing and should do extremely well on the racetrack because it was built right with a 454 Big Block motor and all the bells and whistles.

Rather than write all the details here, I believe pictures are worth a thousand words. I’m going to let the photos speak for themselves on this one and if you know someone who is into really fast, well built and restored classic cars, send them this link and tell them to check it out at CoolCarGuy.com.

1969 Chevy Malibu Super Sport Clone – $29,995

UPDATE! The owner of the vehicle told me to drop the price to $22,000! Don’t miss it!

Cool Car Guy Rating: Extremely Cool

________________________________________________________________________

Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

I finally delivered the 1991 Nissan 300zx that I had on consignment for several months as many of my followers know. Normally, a vehicle sells within 90 days of being listed or it is removed from JFRCars.com and other sites when the listing expires. JFR made an exception for me on this one, after I had showed it numerous times.

The great news is that it finally sold for $9,995.

It is now owned by a really cool guy in Colorado who is a big fan of Nissan Z’s. He traded his 1992 Nissan Z with almost 120k miles on it that didn’t have the twin turbo’s like this one.

I was able to wholesale that vehicle for him and use it as a trade against this vehicle. It’s a year older than what he was driving, but it has the twin turbos and half the mileage. He wrote to tell me how much he likes his new vehicle and that he’ll be in the market for an SUV down the road that he wants me to find for him. That is what I do for my clients as The Cool Car Guy, source vehicles, and had I not been consigning this vehicle I could have probably found one for him through my various sources for cars. If you’re thinking about getting a different vehicle, drop me an email or give me a call and I’ll let you know if I can track down what you’re looking to purchase.

I was actually able to get him financed on this vehicle, even though it was 20 years old. NADA doesn’t go back to 1991 without classifying it as a classic car and very few lenders will loan money on classic cars because of the age of the vehicles.

I thought I would post some photos of it here for my readers to check out the vehicle and for the new owner.

I won’t be taking on any new consignments anytime soon. I’ve been doing consignments for almost six years and they are very time consuming. I had over thirty calls on this vehicle and numerous offers and showings to find the one person who was serious about purchasing the vehicle.

The previous owner is glad his vehicle is sold and it went to someone who is a Z enthusiast. This was the second 300zx he had owned. Having owned it for many years he decided it was time to let it go.

It can be really tough to sell old cars unless you can find a cash buyer and many times they want to pay much less than the seller is hoping to get, especially if the vehicle needs work or if the car or truck has a questionable history, it is even more difficult. I was glad that it worked out for both parties and I didn’t have to return the vehicle and throw in the towel, which I have to admit was tempting for the amount of time involved in selling this one.

Unfortunately, the consignment service I’ve been offering has been taking away from my primary service as The Cool Car Guy, which is locating vehicles for my clients. I work with every make and model. I shop my client’s trades to get the most money possible. I can handle their financing. I have access to the Dealer Auctions and rental car fleets to save more money. I also assist clients in buying or leasing new as well as used vehicles.

Needless to say, this takes a great deal of time and consignments have been something I’ve been offering as a service to assist people to get more money for their vehicles than if they traded them to a dealer or sold them on their own on Craigslist.com, EBay or other online advertising sources.

Which I want to mention something about doing online cash transactions on your own that my readers should be aware of. Recently, a guy I know who works out at 24 Hour Fitness, who is a car collector told me about how he drove from Colorado to Ohio to meet a guy he met on the Internet to buy his truck. After driving that distance, he met the guy who was selling the truck online at night and the truck had been totally misrepresented online. The seller drove from Virginia, had two of his big friends with him, who just happened to get out of the guy’s truck with tire irons and asked if he had brought the $10,000 in cash with him to buy his vehicle. He said that there was no doubt that they had planned to mug him for his $10,000 and who knows what else.

The guy telling me the story just happened to have a conceal and carry permit and had brought along his gun, which possibly could have got him in trouble crossing State lines with a firearm. He warned them that they had better think twice or he had no problem putting a bullet in them. That was a wild story to say the least and it emphasizes the importance of being safe when buying or selling vehicles today on your own.

I hope you enjoy the photos. The photo shoot that was done on this vehicle really turned out great!

Color: Burgundy
VIN#: JN1CZ24H5MX505448

Transmission: 5 Speed
Year: 1991 Engine: 3.0L V6 SOHC 24V TURBO
Make: Nissan Drive Train: RWD
Model: 300ZX Mileage: 57,837
Trim: Turbo
State: CO
Interior: Leather
Price: $9,995
Vehicle Type: Coupe

City 18
Hwy 24

Options
Air Conditioning
Power Seats
Alloy Wheels
Power Steering
AM/FM
Power Windows
Cruise Control
Rear Defroster

Driver Airbag
Rear Spoiler
Extra Keys
Tilt Wheel
Power Locks

Cool Car Guy Rating: Nice

_________________________________________________________________________

Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save

time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

Last week I got a phone call from a client who asked me to help him sell his 1990 Porsche 911 sports car. When he showed up I couldn’t believe how good of shape it was in for the year of the vehicle. It only has 65,800 miles and it’s the Targa with the great top that is easy to pop off for driving on sunny days.

I asked him how long he had owned the vehicle and it turned out that his wife and him had purchased the vehicle in 2004, but discovered that they didn’t drive it that much. In fact, they bought the vehicle with 63,575 miles on it, so they only drove it around 2,300 miles for the past six years! Talk about a rare find and this is a classic looking car with the black on black color scheme. These vehicles are really hard to find, especially with good miles on them.

Today, I had a call from someone who is looking for one, so I told him I would put some additional photos and details up here at CoolCarGuy.com to check out. I had hoped to put them up sooner, but I’ve been slammed today and this week.

The Porsche 911 Carrerra 4 Targa had an original MSRP of $70,900. Here are some of the specifications on this vehicle, along with some additional photos for my visitors to check out. It has a super clean interior and looks and drives great.

Standard Engine: 3.6L 247 hp I6
Horsepower: 247
Torque (lb-ft): 228

5-Speed Manual Overdrive

City (mpg) 15
Highway (mpg) 24

Details: “The 911 is Porsche’s iconic rear-engine sports car, produced today in coupe and cabriolet versions that was updated for 2009. The 911 first went into production as the 1964 911 Carrera, Porsche’s first six-cylinder model and a replacement for the legendary Porsche 356. For 2004, a 40th Anniversary edition was offered and the Turbo Cabriolet and the Carrera 4S Cabriolet were added, marking the first time since 1989 that a Turbo Cabriolet was offered.

The 2005 Carrera and Carrera S debuted the next generation of 911, an evolution of the original 911 silhouette, with a return to oval headlights with separate turn indicators. The Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S returned for 2006, followed by the 911 Turbo and GT3 for 2007.” – MSNAutos

Cool Car Guy Rating: Extremely Cool

_________________________________________________________________________

Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

Here are some cool photos of a nice consignment vehicle that I recently sold for a client of mine.  I had quite a few calls on this vehicle and it was definitely the nicest 2002 Lexus IS300 in the Denver area for the money. The new owner is thrilled and he showed up with some cash and we financed the rest.  The vehicle had really low miles as you can tell from the odometer and I presented it properly to get it sold. It was super fun to drive and handle very well for the size of the vehicle.

As The Cool Car Guy, I sell quite a few vehicles, more in a month than many people will own in their lifetime.  I don’t sell every vehicle that people bring to me because frankly some people want too much money for their vehicles, more than the market will bear.

I also don’t consign just any vehicle since I have an indoor showroom and that space is limited.  However, I work with every make, model and price range.  I just need to find more time to put cool car shots up here on CoolCarGuy.com for my visitors to check out.  I like to have really nice vehicles to showcase for people, who are in the market for the right vehicle at the right price.  This 2002 Lexus is a great example though of a vehicle that sold because it was priced right and in fantastic condition.  They are difficult vehicles to find as well and my client made more money than had he traded the vehicle that would have been put outside by a Used Car Manager to be beaten-up by the elements. It’s always nice to create a win-win for the buyer and the seller.

I thought I would put the pictures up here for my visitors to enjoy.  The older body style on the Lexus IS was pretty cool and it’s a vehicle that is in high-demand because of the appearance of the vehicle.  It has a timing belt instead of a timing chain, so if you buy one of these make sure you get the service done regularly.  My client had all of the work done at the Lexus dealership and one benefit of that is that all of the service history of the vehicle is recorded within the Lexus dealerships database.

Here’s some of the details of the Rear-Wheel Drive 2002 Lexus IS 300 should you be in the market for one…

“The Lexus IS 300 made its production debut at the 2000 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. However, this car did exist in other markets under different names well
before it arrived in North America. The car is sold in Asia as the Toyota Altezza and in Europe as the IS 200, although with a smaller, less powerful engine. The IS 300 is aimed squarely at the BMW 3-Series; Lexus is hoping to prove that the best high-performance sedans don’t necessarily come solely from Europe. The addition of the 5-speed manual transmission enforces this hope.” – MSNAutos

Original Retail Price (MSRP) $29,435 $30,805
Original Invoice Price $25,901 $27,108

ENGINE
Standard Engine 3.0L 215 hp I6 3.0L 215 hp I6
Horsepower 215 @ 5800 RPM 215 @ 5800 RPM
Torque (lb-ft) 218 @ 3800 RPM 218 @ 3800 RPM

FUEL ECONOMY
City (mpg) 18 18
Highway (mpg) 25 25

Cool Car Guy Rating: Very Cool

Hey Cool Car Fans,

I still have to get photos up of a really cool 1981 Delorean DMC-12 that I recently sold for a client of mine, so stay tuned for that post coming soon. The Jeep and the Jaguar that I consigned are both gone, but check out this very cool 1967 Camaro that a client of mine restored.

I’m posting the before and after photos for you to see how far this vehicle has come from where it was to what it looks like now.  And although it’s not an original SS, it’s a pretty cool SS clone and these vehicles are getting more and more difficult to find as time marches on since they only made so many in 1967, which was the first year for this classic car.  How many are left that are in good running condition or available for restoration?

I asked my client to send me details on the story of this 67′ Camaro and he wrote a great story, but before I share with you what he had to say, here’s some information on the 1967 Camaro from Wikipedia.com that I think you’ll find interesting.

“The debut Camaro shared some mechanicals with the 1968 Chevy II Nova. Almost 80 factory and 40 dealer options, including three main packages, were available. The RS was an appearance package that included hidden headlights, revised taillights, RS badging, and exterior rocker trim. It was available on all models.

The SS included a 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 engine and the L35 and L78 396 cu in (6.5 L) big-block V8′s were also available. The SS featured non-functional air inlets on the hood, special striping and SS badging on the grille, front fenders, gas cap, and horn button. It was possible to order both the SS and RS to receive a Camaro RS/SS. In 1967, a Camaro RS/SS convertible with a 396 engine paced the Indianapolis 500.

The Z/28 option code was introduced in December 1966 for the 1967 model year. It was the brainchild of Vince Piggins, who conceived offering “virtually race-ready” Camaros for sale from any Chevrolet dealer.[1] This option package was not mentioned in any sales literature, so it was unknown to most buyers.

Production numbers:
RS: 64,842
SS: 34,411
Z28: 602
Total: 220,906“

Now for the unique story on this 1967 Camaro SS Clone…

“Hey John,

Here’s the story on my 1967 Camaro and if it wasn’t for the economy and my business needing some additional funds right now I wouldn’t be selling this vehicle. About 16 years ago someone decided to restore this car they completely took it apart down to nothing. They then realized that it was just too big of a project for their skills to put it back together, so there it sat in a garage for another 14 years!

Along came another 67′ Camaro lover, who fell in love with this vehicle and brought it to Colorado. This gentleman also realized it was beyond his skill level to do on his own, so he sold it to a restoration shop. He didn’t want to sell it, but he needed room, but he had the silver powder coated sub frame and new bushings on the vehicle and made it a roller.

This is were I came in and I performed a body off complete restore. It originally had a 6 cylinder engine, but now it has a new 350 and turbo 350 tranny. Since the Camaro sat in the garage instead of driving there was no rust and the body was in great shape. It even comes with the original security key and the original Camaro manual. We’re talking about a vehicle that is 43 years old and it now looks great!

Here are the bullet points…

• Body-Off Restore
• Custom Paint with Ghost Flames – Hot!
• NEW 350 Motor and a Rebuilt Turbo 350 Transmission with Shift Kit
• New Suspension, Bushings, Shocks, Springs, Leaf Springs Power Coated Sub-Frame
• All New Fuel Lines and Fuel Tank
• New Front Disc Brakes – Nice Uprgrade New Break System and Break Lines
• Interior is NEW with Silver Metallic Paint – Looks Fantastic!
• Grill is Custom and the Head Lights are Projestor Type with Blue Hallos – Very Cool
• Dual Exhaust Sounds Good – Not Too Loud
• High-End Kenwood Sound System, iPod ready with Infinity Speakers
• Dupont  chroma base Paint for Show Cars – Very Expensive for High-Quality Shine  for Show Cars.
• A/C Ready and Just needs to be Hooked-Up

There you go Cool Car Fans, another Cool Car Consignment looking for a new home.  This is a pretty cool car for under $25,000 for that unique buyer who is looking for a redone 1967 Chevy Camaro that is a classic muscle car and there are fewer of them that are not rust buckets or have been restored every year.  If you’re interested drop me an email or give me a call for a private showing.

_________________________________________________________________________

Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

Check out this cool 1997 Jeep Wrangler that I took in on consignment last week for Monica, who I like to call, “Off-Road Girl” complete with her Girls Kick Ass sticker on the windshield. This Jeep is pretty hard core for the Colorado off-road enthusiast.  She enlisted me to help her sell it for just under $10,000 with plenty of upgrades and it’s priced right for all these Jeep has got.

I asked her to send me details on her Jeep and she didn’t disappoint, so I had to put some of the photos and all the details here on CoolCarGuy.com for my visitors to check out.

This is a Jeep that was built to take off-road unlike many Jeep Wrangler’s that never really make it “off-road”, at least in the places this Jeep can go, and this one can handle whatever you throw at it.  Here’s what Monica had to say…

“John, Here’s the deal on my Jeep and I’m only selling this so that I can buy a new 2010 Jeep Wrangler as it’s time for me to go with a new one.

• I’ve kept up with all of the regular maintenance and actually get oil and differential fluid changes more often than recommended.
• Since 2004 it’s been almost exclusively a “toy” vehicle so it has spent most of its low miles going either very slowly or on the highway. There has been very limited in-town driving.
• It’s plugged into a charger all winter so the battery never goes dead. It has an Optima Yellow Top that I purchased a little less than a year ago (the best battery they sell).
• It has Bestop heated seats in the front and a matching Bestop rear seat.



• It has a Bestop halftop that flips open to provide a sunroof without having to take the entire top off, which is pretty cool for Colorado with all the sunshine we get here.
• It has Bestop upper door sliders and steel half doors from the factory. If you flip the top back and store the upper door sliders behind your seat you instantly have an open Jeep. Some quick adjustments make it completely air tight so you can drive it in the winter and take it through a carwash when needed.
• It has a Bestop modular rack system that allows you to buy inexpensive extra parts to move the rack to other places on the Jeep. The coolers have been modified so they are attached to the rack with bolts so you don’t need to use ratchet straps to keep them on the Jeep.



• It’s never had any problems passing emissions tests. It always passes with flying colors.
• It comfortably goes 75mph on the highway. It has no shimmy or shake like most Jeeps have (most Jeeps have a shake at 45mph for some reason, even new ones).
• It’s been adjusted so the speedometer is correct even though the tires are bigger than the 31” tires it originally came with. I’ve checked it many times against a GPS reading and it’s accurate.
• The stereo system was originally featured in a CarToys magazine. There are two identical head units so you can still use one while the other is being cleaned. They have removable face plates and the original remote controls and manuals are in the blue folder I gave you.
• I’ll even include free Sirius radio for the first 4-6 weeks (until I get my new Jeep), which is great when you’re out on the trails. The speaker pods are from a newer model Jeep as the originals were not very good.
• It has onboard air. The short story is that it’s as fast as the air compressor at a gas station. The long story is that it has a York compressor, air tank, and Kilby mount (this, basically, but a few years old).
• The original axles were fairly weak. It now has a Ford 8.8 axle in the rear and a high pinion Dana 30 axle in the front. The front axle has chromoly axle shafts which are almost unbreakable (axle shafts break often on the trail, so this is a nice feature). Both axles have fairly new ARB lockers in them.
• It came with a 3.07 gear ratio from the factory which has been upgraded to 4.56. This means it’s much faster on the highway with more torque than it once had.
• The original drum brakes were replaced with new disc brakes, so it stops better than it would with the original brakes.
• It has 5 ¾” total suspension lift and no body lift (a good thing, body lifts are the cheap way to do it).
• It has 35” Super Swamper SSR tires (35×12.50). They are 8-ply instead of 3-ply like most tire sidewalls, so you will rarely get a flat tire, if ever. Most people will get at least one flat every season if they go off-road (it’s just the nature of wheeling). I’ve never had a flat since I switched to Super Swampers. These are basically “the” wheeling tire. They’re fairly aggressive but they still behave well on the highway.   It’s equipped with Eagle 15×10 wheels.
• It has every skid plate you need, even ones you don’t need. It has Jeeperman bumpers (a popular company that went out of business).
• It has a Bestop rear oversize tire carrier.
• The brake lines have all been upgraded to steel lines.
• The side view mirrors are upgrades, new ones from a newer model Jeep.
• It has an alarm system with a proximity sensor (it goes crazy when anyone gets near it) and starter kill (you can’t steal it when it’s armed).

And things of note (with reminders).

• I’m short, so a taller person may need to make adjustments. There are hockey pucks under the driver’s seat that has raised it, and they are easy to remove.
• The speakers were moved to the front of the roll bar instead of leaving them behind it, which makes the Jeep air tight but also limits head room. A tall person may have to figure something else out, but removing the hockey pucks will help and you’re tall and you fit in it.
• The mount on the dash is for a Garmin GPSMAP GPS unit. If it doesn’t come off, that strip of dash is easily found in a junk yard.
• The light just above the stereo will blink if the alarm has been set off while you were away. I printed the user manual for the alarm and it’s in the blue folder I gave you.
• The air bag light is on, which usually means that the air bags are not working. This model of Jeep usually has the clock spring fail at this point, and this is the symptom. I have not had it checked. If you have the right tools, the fix is inexpensive. Most people do not have the right tools to work with the steering wheel parts, and I believe that getting it fixed at a shop should be under $500 (I’ve been quoted “around $300”).  Sidenote from The Cool Car Guy, I’m always big into disclosure when you get a vehicle from me, even with consignments, so there are no surprises for the new owner.
• It’s impossible to put the rear seat in with the top as it is. The seat doesn’t weigh much at all, so it’s easy to take out if they want to see the amps or see how much room is back there. It’s basically a truck.
• I had a piece of heavy duty seat belt installed across the front of “bed” of the truck just behind the front seats. This has really helped stop things from coming into the cab if I’m going down a steep hill or obstacle.
• There is still a great CB mount attached on the back. All they need is the CB antenna on that along with the CB and cable and they’re good to go.
• There is a small amount of body damage that happened at very slow speeds on various off-road trails.  That’s going to happen when you’re driving off-road, it’s just part of the joys of off-road driving.  I’ve never even been in a fender bender with the Jeep. It’s never been in an accident with anything other than rocks. I’ve never rolled it and I’ve never even flopped it over on its side, though I’ve come close quite a few times.  See the photos!
• Yes, that’s the Jeep that spent three solid days on Liberty Trail in 2006. It’s a much better Jeep now. That was an expensive trip.

Let me know if I’ve missed anything! I’m going to put together a list of the extra items I have for sale, and if the Jeep hasn’t sold I’ll send the list to you. If someone buys the Jeep I’ll give them a nice discount on the extras, like the full steel doors in the same color (you might want to mention those even though I haven’t researched selling them yet so I don’t know the cost).

I hope you like the pictures.”

Well Monica, I think a picture is worth a thousand words and your Jeep is over-the-top cool.  I’m sure the next owner is going to love it!

Why buy a used Jeep for $5,000 – $6,000 that you have to put another $8,000 – $10,000 into in order to make it as capable as this one, when you can buy this one for under $10,000 and know that it can handle whatever they throw at it?  That’s my take anyway.

_________________________________________________________________________

Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

Last week I had a client fly into Denver from out of town to pickup a 1997 Jaguar Vanden Plas from me that I had on consignment for another client of mine. Before he flew into town he wrote to me with a list of questions and concerns he had about the vehicle. I took it to one of the mechanic shops that I work with and had it checked out for him, so her purchased an airline ticket and flew into town not knowing what to expect having never done business before with The Cool Car Guy.

When Mark arrived he told me that he had owned one of these vehicles with over 120,000 miles, but that someone had rear-ended him and totaled out the vehicle. He had looked at a number of them and landed on this one based on the condition of the vehicle and since I was the easiest guy to work with in making sure it was the right vehicle for him. These are not easy to find in mint condition and as it turned out this one was everything he expected with roughly 85,000 miles. It had been well taken care of by the previous owner who had paid over $40,000 for it and had really liked the vehicle as well.

He was an interesting client, like many of the people I come in contact with as The Cool Car Guy. Mark told me that he had worked on a spaceship that is on its way to the planet Pluto. It will be arriving there in another six years!

He also knew the 1997 Jaguar Vanden Plas quite well, especially the electrical system and he explained to me how they had engineered the vehicle’s windshield washer system on the same fuse as the alternator that could cause a load on the alternator. He had created a work around for this problem with his previous Jag should the problem arise again in the future.

Many people are not fans of Jaguar because of the maintenance issues, but the real problem is that there are just not many repair shops, like other brands that know how to work on these vehicles, so it costs more to repair them. The same is true of Land Rovers where in other countries they are extremely popular, but in the United States they can cost a small fortune each year to maintain. The Jaguar’s are very nice luxury vehicles, especially for the money based on the depreciation that takes place in the used car market.

For 1997, the sedans were imported and manufactured from Coventry, England and it was a very cool car that is quite fun to drive. Mark wrote me when he made it back home and said, “Hi John, Thanks a lot. I just returned home today, after a two day drive. No problems with the car, drives great. Hopefully, I will keep it for many years to come.” Another happy Cool Car Guy client and the client who consigned it with me is looking to have me sell his 1981 Delorean for him next. I’ll keep you posted.

_________________________________________________________________________

Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

I was cruising the Internet this morning looking for some cool car stories and I came across one that I couldn’t pass up linking to here at CoolCarGuy.com. There’s a story over at CNN.com about a guy who has owned 26 Jeeps and he has one, a 1983 CJ-7, VEX with over 1,186,072 miles on it, complete with a photo of the vehicle.

He’s gone through five engines that last about 200,000 miles each, which is about right for a Jeep’s 6 cylinder, but what an amazing story of getting the most out of a vehicle.

If you want to check it out click here and you can read the full story for yourself. I think that’s pretty darn cool and author and lecturer Dave Ramsey with his Financial Peace University classes telling people to keep cars for as long as you can, would be proud of this guy. It just goes to show you that if you take care of a vehicle it will take care of you.

On another note, a buddy of mine that I run with Mark Ford and I spotted an old Chevy Citation last week that was parked in someone’s driveway in Littleton that was still going strong. Needless to say, there are some vehicles out there with some serious miles on them that are still being used as daily driver’s or for going off-road as in the case of VEX.

_________________________________________________________________________

Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Many people contact me each month to help them locate a new or pre-owned vehicle at the right price.  All too often, people will tell me that they have to own a Toyota or Honda instead of some of the other brands in the marketplace because of the perception that they are better vehicles.  Sometimes they are better vehicles and I do like the Honda and Toyota brands.

I’m also a fan of many other vehicles in the marketplace that are often overlooked by consumers, which quite frankly are a much better value. I know because I spend tens of thousands of dollars fixing cars each year and I’ve seen problems with every major manufacturer, but usually care and maintenance is the problem and not the vehicle itself.

The media has definitely shown favoritism to these two brands over the years, but since America has now invested billions into American car companies we’re starting to see more press about the challenges facing all the major manufacturers in building modern vehicles.

After Toyota had a major recall this month, Honda is now recalling over a half a million of their small cars based on a faulty window switch that was shown to be a safety hazard.  It’s not that these vehicles are bad, as the article points out, but it is a fact that there are thousands of small parts that go into building today’s automobile, from oxygen sensors to air bag sensors.  I think that people forget this fact all too often.

As we move into more sophisticated vehicles there are more opportunities for parts to malfunction and for a vehicle to have problems, such as a gas peddle or a window switch.  There is no perfect automobile, but if you can reduce the amount of chances for a problem to take place by checking for recalls on your vehicle and having parts replaced it will last you much longer with less likely opportunities for failure, regardless of the specific brand.

Here’s an article detailing this latest recall for Honda.

Honda recalls 646,000 amid Toyota woes

Recalls the latest black mark on industry already battered by recession

WASHINGTON/TOKYO – Honda Motor Co. said it would recall a total of 646,000 units of its Fit/Jazz and City models, including 140,000 in the United States, because of a faulty window switch, after a child died when fire broke out in a car last year.

The announcement came as investors, suppliers and consumers weighed the impact of an unprecedented halt in U.S. production by Toyota, the world’s No. 1 automaker.

Honda’s move, as well as Toyota’s recall due to problems with unintended and dangerous acceleration, come at a bad time for the industry as it struggles to lure buyers back to showrooms after a sales slump that helped drag U.S. rivals General Motors and Chrysler into bankruptcy.

Toyota this week suspended North American sales and production of eight models including its best-selling Camry after regulatory pressure, and widened the recall to China and Europe. A Toyota spokeswoman said the company was still checking on whether any vehicles are affected in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

Japan’s largest company, studied for its devotion to quality, could recall about 8 million vehicles in total — more than the number of cars and trucks it sold worldwide in 2009.

In Tokyo, some worried about the knock-on effects to Japan’s image and economy.
“If Toyota has hard times, there’s a high probability that also Japan will,” said Takeo Namekata, a 62-year-old office worker. “Particularly, trade will suffer.”

Honda’s recall added to concerns that the safety-conscious image of Japanese manufacturers would be threatened.
“The Japanese have built their image on reliability, the fact that they make bullet-proof vehicles,” said IHS Global Insight analyst Carlos Da Silva.

“It’s not that their vehicles are worse than the others, (the recalls are) just showing maybe that their vehicles are like the others. The race to cost cuts and the competition between all the brands is so fierce that even the mighty Japanese are doing things that are not as reliable as they were.”
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Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

I’ve had a number of clients calling and asking me about the Toyota recall that’s taking place. Following is an article that I’m posting here at CoolCarGuy.com that has been floating around the dealerships the last day.

Hopefully, you’ll find it informative and I’m sure Toyota will get it figured out.

Toyota Temporarily Suspends Sales of Selected Vehicles

TORRANCE, Calif., January 26, 2010 – - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced that it is instructing Toyota dealers to temporarily suspend sales of eight models involved in the recall for sticking accelerator pedal, announced on January 21, 2010.

“Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company,” said Group Vice President and Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter. “This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized. We’re making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible.”

Toyota announced it would recall approximately 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific Toyota Division models. Toyota has investigated isolated reports of sticking accelerator pedal mechanisms in certain vehicles without the presence of floor mats. There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.

Toyota’s accelerator pedal recall and suspension of sales is confined to the following Toyota Division vehicles:

2009-2010 RAV4,
2009-2010 Corolla,
2009-2010 Matrix,
2005-2010 Avalon,
Certain 2007-2010 Camry,
2010 Highlander,
2007-2010 Tundra,
2008-2010 Sequoia

No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are affected by these actions. Also not affected are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids, which will remain for sale.

Due to the sales suspension, Toyota is expected to stop producing vehicles on the following production lines for the week of February 1 to assess and coordinate activities. The North America vehicle production facilities affected are:

• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada (Corolla, Matrix, and RAV4)
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (Sequoia and Highlander)
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky – Line 1 (Camry and Avalon)
• Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (Camry)
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas (Tundra)

No other North American Toyota vehicle production facilities are affected by the decision to stop production.

The sticking accelerator pedal recall is separate from the on-going recall of Toyota and Lexus vehicles to reduce the risk of pedal entrapment by incorrect or out of place accessory floor mats. Approximately 1.7 million Toyota Division vehicles are subject to both separate recall actions.

The latest news about the sticking accelerator pedal recall:

Frequently Asked Questions for the Sticking Accelerator Pedal Recall (Jan. 22, 2010)

Toyota Files Voluntary Safety Recall on Select Toyota Division Vehicles for Sticking Accelerator Pedal (Jan. 21, 2010)

The latest news about Toyota’s consumer safety advisory for potential floor mat interference with the accelerator pedal in certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles:

Setting the Record Straight (Dec. 23, 2009)

A Healthy Discussion on Safety (Dec. 10, 2009)

Toyota Announces Details of Remedy to Address Potential Accelerator Pedal Entrapment (Nov. 25, 2009)

Unintended Acceleration: Toyota Addresses the Issues (Nov. 6, 2009)

Toyota’s Statement Regarding NHTSA News Release (Nov. 4, 2009)

Toyota Begins Interim Notification to Owners Regarding Future Voluntary Safety Recall Related to Floor Mats (Nov. 2, 2009)

NHTSA report (Nov. 2, 2009)

Toyota owner letter (Nov. 2, 2009)

Toyota Consumer Safety Advisory: Potential Floor Mat Interference with Accelerator Pedal (Sept. 29, 2009)

Toyota/Carpeted/All-Weather Floor Mat Inspection, Application & Installation Instructions (Sept. 29, 2009)

Toyota Carpet Floor Mat Application Information Chart (Sept. 29, 2009)

Toyota All-Weather Floor Mat Quick Reference Chart (Sept. 29, 2009)

NOTE TO CONSUMERS: We’ve received a number of comments and questions about the floor mat issue and understand the safety concerns. We want to be responsive, but the Toyota USA Newsroom is not intended as a place for consumer complaints, or detailed information about any vehicle features, specs or capabilities. These types of concerns are best handled by our Customer Experience Center where they will be routed to the appropriate customer service representative for Toyota, Scion or Lexus. You can reach our customer service representatives by calling 1-800-331-4331. Prefer to email or chat? Simply access our website email or live chat links for Toyota, Scion or Lexus.

MEDIA CONTACTS ONLY:

Toyota Environmental, Safety and Quality Communications
Brian Lyons (310) 468-2552
John Hanson (310) 468-4718

Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing North America
Mike Goss
Mike.Goss@TEMA.Toyota.com
(859) 803-1698

Media Web site: www.toyotanewsroom.com
Public Web site: http://www.toyota.com and http://www.lexus.com
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Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy